Certain Sermons or Homilies (First Book of Homilies)

And this form of speaking we use, in the humbling of our selves to God, and to give all the glory to our saviour Christ, which is best worthy to have it.

And this forme of speakyng we vse, in the humblyng of oure selfes to God, and to geue all the glory to our sauior Christ, whiche is best worthy to haue it.

Here you have heard the office of God in our justification, and how we receive it of him, freely, by his mercy, without our deserts, through true and lively faith. Now you shall hear the office and duty of a christian man unto God, what we ought on our part, to render unto God again, for his great mercy and goodness. Our office is,¹ not to pass the time of his present life unfruitfully and idly, after that we are baptised or justified, not caring how few good works we do, to the glory of God, and profit of our neighbours: much less it is our office, after that we be once made Christs men bres, to live contrary to the same, making our selves members of the devil, walking after his enticements, and after the suggestions of the world and the flesh, whereby we know, that we do serve the world, and the devil, and not God. For that faith, which bringeth forth, (without repentance) either evil works, or no good works, is not a right, pure, and lively faith, but a dead, Devilish, counterfeit, and feigned faith, as saint Paul, & saint James call it. ⟨image 21⟩For even the devils know and believe,² that Christ was borne of a virgin, that he fasted forty days, & forty nights, without meat and drink, that he wrought all kind of miracles, declaring himself very God: They believe also, that Christ for our sakes, suffered most painful death, to redeem us from eternal death, & that he rose again from death the third day: They believe, that he ascended into heaven, and that he sitteth on the right hand of the father, and at the last end of this world, shall come again, and judge both the quick and the dead. These articles of our faith, the devils believe, and so they believe all things that be written, in the new and old Testament to be true, & yet for all this faith, they be but devils, remaining still in their damnable estate, lacking the very true christian faith. For the right and true christian faith is,